Impasse
by The Legend of Chocolate
Summary: [iPod Shuffle Challenge] "I'm okay, Red." The lie slipped from her lips so naturally, so gracefully, it was almost dreadful. If he knew the truth... Everything would shatter this fragile boy... - LuckyShipping; implied ChoosenShipping / ChosenShipping & SpecialShipping *HBD BlueViolet7*


**Instructions:**

**1. Pick a character, fandom, pairing, friendship, whatever.**

**2. Put your music program on shuffle/random and start playing songs.**

**3. For each song, write something inspired by the song related to the theme you chose earlier. You only have the song length. No pre-planning and no writing after the song is over. No skipping songs either.**

**RULE I ADDED MYSELF BECAUSE THIS IS A DEDICATION FIC AND I ALWAYS MESS UP THOSE: You are allowed to replay the song once or twice for the lyrics to sink in.**

**4. Do 10 songs and post. Make sure to include the song name/artist.**

**[A/N: This is also a (very late) birthday present for CupcakePenelope on YouTube (aka BlueViolet7 on FFN), since she's the most dedicated LuckyShipper I've ever known! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLUE! ^_^]**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of the following songs.**

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iPod Shuffle Challenge: LuckyShipping

_A collection of drabbles written by TLoC_

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**1. The Lucky One** – Taylor Swift

_~Now it's big black cars and Riviera views_

_And your lover in the foyer doesn't even know you_

_And your secrets end up_

_Splashed on the news front page~_

There's a hand in the darkness, and it holds a knife.

She grips the hilt tightly in her palm, which is slick with cold beads of perspiration. Silently, with the speed and stealth of a skilled kleptomaniac, she darts forward, effortlessly maneuvering her way through the complex maze of shelves. Her eyes rake the dark area hungrily, sweeping over the vast array of merchandise arranged neatly on the shelves like that of a nocturnal predator.

Through the darkness, she spots her target.

The subject of her fascination is an exquisitely crafted vase bathed in the glow of the lithium-blue moonlight from a small window, covered in intricate designs. Involuntarily, her lips curl up in a smirk bordering on derangement. _Soon, it'll be hers._ Ignoring the price tag attached to it revealing its exorbitant value, she sinks seamlessly into a predatory crouch. All her senses are on alert now, and adrenaline pumps steadily into her veins, sending her into a dizzy high. All that matters now is that vase.

Heart ricocheting off the walls of her ribcage, she lunges forward, her hands outstretched like claws. The knife falls to the ground with a loud clutter, and there it lies, forgotten. Her fingers are poised perfectly to curl around their target. There's nothing that can stop her now –

– Except for the pair of strong, muscled arms that abruptly wrap around her, pulling her back with a gentleness that only one person she knows can exude.

_No!_ she screams hysterically, her face suddenly contorted as an excruciating pain strikes her heart. _No! I'm not done yet! NO!_

_Quiet, Blue,_ he whispers into her ear, his breath caressing her skin lightly and sending shivers down her spine. _The paparazzi are outside. You can't let them see you like this…_

She can hear the faint yet fervent clicking of cameras coming from outside the building, but none of its true meaning sinks into her frenzied brain. Glistening tears are streaming uncontrollably down her face. The vase she's obsessed with is only just out of her grasp. She has to reach it. She _has_ to. _So near, yet so far…_

_No… NO! I- I have to do this! It hurts, Red, it hurts not to! Please… Just _let me go!

But he holds on, and he doesn't let go.

…

The next day, her name is splashed over the headlines of the newspapers not for being a kleptomaniac, but for being sighted in the intimate embrace of Kanto's youngest Champion.

Red has saved her once again, and it's only now that she realises just how lucky she is.

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**2. Haunted** - Taylor Swift

_~Come on, come on_

_Don't leave me like this_

_I thought I had you figured out_

_Can't breathe whenever you're gone_

_Can't turn back now_

_I'm haunted~_

Drip.

He's still numb.

Drip.

It happened minutes ago, but he still hasn't regained his composure.

Drip.

The attacker – a burly man in his late teens, donning torn clothing – is sprawled out on the floor, his glassy gaze fixed permanently onto the ceiling.

Drip.

The knife, still drenched with fresh crimson blood, lies on the floor forlornly but not quite forgotten.

Drip.

Her eyelids flutter open, and a miniscule ghost of a smile flickers across her face. It's a miracle how she still manages to tilt her lips up in that rejuvenating grin, even in the darkest of times.

Drip.

She's the light at the end of his tunnel.

Drip.

He still can feel her arms wrapped tightly around him, molding him against her body and enveloping him in her ethereal warmth, protecting him from the blistering cold.

Drip.

Arms that rest limply on the ground.

Drip.

Arms that cannot protect him now.

Drip.

Her ocean-blue eyes meet his fire-red ones for the last time.

Drip.

"I'm really going to miss you, Red."

Drip.

He never realised how beautiful the stars are when they shine in blood before.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

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**3. Titanium** – David Guetta

_~I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_

_Fire away, fire away_

_Ricochet, take your aim_

_Fire away, fire away_

_You shoot me down, but I won't fall_

_I am titanium_

_You shoot me down, but I won't fall_

_I am titanium~_

The most popular A-lister towered menacingly over Blue's cowering figure on the ground. Her 'sidekicks' stood rapt at attention at either side of her, unblinking and with perfectly sculpted, professionally bland expressions plastered over their faces. And there she was in the middle, revelling in all her immaculate perfect-manicure glory, triumphing over the other insignificant minions – Melanie, undisputed Queen Bitch of the school.

A brazen smirk played across her cherry pink lips as she cast her eyes disapprovingly down onto her object of attention.

So _this_ was the rival she'd heard of. The fearless Trainer who had defeated countless others, surged ahead in the Kanto Pokémon League to clinch the coveted title of second runner-up at the astoundingly young age of eleven, and recently ascended to power with her newly acquired position of Red's girlfriend.

To be honest, Melanie could feel a pang of disappointment in her heart. For someone who was so frequently gossiped about, who was so pervasively rumoured to be someone of immense strength, she was painfully weak. She'd been expecting someone more… _challenging._

The sharp heel of her fashionably designed four-inch stilettos collided into Blue's stomach, and the former could see the latter double over in agony as she desperately attempted to hold back the tidal wave of tears threatening to sweep her over.

Lowering her head in defeat, Blue dug her front teeth resiliently into her lip. She didn't cry. Whether she was too strong or too weak to, Melanie didn't know and didn't care.

Then Blue glanced up, and her mesmerising ocean-blue eyes locked onto Melanie's startled chocolate brown orbs.

Her eyes, dim and devoid of any signs on life several moments ago, were now ablaze with a fiery passion. The will to live. The refusal to back down.

_I won't lose. I won't lose the one I love._

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**4. Grenade** – Bruno Mars

_~I'd catch a grenade for ya_

_Throw my hand on a blade for ya_

_I'd jump in front of a train for ya_

_You know I'd do anything for ya~_

"What's wrong, Blue?" Red opened a lazy eye and allowed his gaze to drift over to his best friend, who heaved a dramatic sigh and flopped down onto the grass next to him. "You only come to the field when you're troubled…"

The brunette lay sprawled out on the ground, determinedly ignoring his anxiously articulated question. The night sky towering over them stretched in all directions, resembling a vast blanket of perpetual darkness. A myriad of faintly glimmering stars was sprinkled randomly across it. The cool breeze caressed her skin lightly and ruffled her hair, and the evergreen blades of grass swayed in a hypnotic dance to a tempo only they could hear.

"I'm okay, Red." The lie slipped from her lips so naturally, so gracefully, it was almost dreadful. Almost. Her typical façade was intact as she flipped over to flash him a reassuring smile.

_If he knew the truth,_ everything_ would shatter this fragile boy…_

He didn't look convinced. His piercing red eyes raked her skin skeptically, as if scanning for any clues that might give her away. After all, he knew her too well to be deceived.

Finally, after a long, excruciating silence, the corner of his lips tugged up in a grin. "Fine, you win. I just want you to know…" He paused, as if contemplating his options.

"I just want you to know that I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

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**5. I'm Yours** – Jason Mraz

_~So I won't hesitate no more, no more_

_It cannot wait, I'm sure_

_There's no need to complicate, our time is short_

_This is our fate, I'm yours~_

"Blue! _Where are you?_ He's at the altar already, waiting for you! _Where are-_"

"I'm right here, Yellow." The voice that drifted down the corridor was soft, hoarse from lack of use and barely audible.

Disbelievingly, the young blonde slowly turned around to espy the mahogany door of her best friend's room creak open and the bride himself trudge out to meet her maid-of-honour's shocked gaze.

Her first reaction was: _Arceus, she looks awful._ During those few days that she had concealed herself within her room, her health had deteriorated at an alarming rate and her skin was now a sickly pale shade, probably from a lack of vitamin D. The only redeeming feature of her appearance was the elegant strapless wedding gown that cascaded to the ground in wave after wave of varying shades of violet.

Her second reaction was: _she looks dead. Literally._ All the fire and passion that had sparkled in her eyes just days ago had long since died down, replaced by extreme anxiety.

"Yellow… I can't do this. I can't marry Silver!" Blue dropped to the ground with a wail ripped from her soul. Her sleek chestnut-brown hair had been swept up into a simple yet professional chignon held up by a glittering butterfly clip, tactically leaving two strands to frame her face.

Yellow lingered slightly awkwardly on the sidelines. Despite being a kind and caring person, she had never had to comfort someone about a topic as… _intimate_ as this before.

"It'll be okay, Blue. I know you can do it. You love him, and he loves you, and that's all that matters." Her argument, feeble even to her own ears, fell flat almost instantly with an uncertainty that caused Blue to wince.

"It's not just that, Yellow. I… I've thought about this for a long time now, and there's no point trying to conceal it anymore…" The older woman raised her head tentatively, and the other was appalled to see the tears that streaked from her bloodshot eyes.

But the next sentence was the one that carried the atomic bomb.

"I… I think I'm in love with Red."

And with that, Yellow's butterfly world was torn asunder.

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**6. Vanilla Twilight** – Owl City

_~But drenched in vanilla twilight_

_I'll sit on the front porch all night_

_Waist-deep in thought because_

_When I think of you I don't feel so alone~_

Red lips

Just within reach

So close but yet so far

Torturous to all my senses

For when you're with her, everything else fades

Away, while I watch, heart breaking

I yearn to touch them but

They're not mine; those

Red lips

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**7. State of Grace** – Taylor Swift

_~This is a state of grace_

_This is a worthwhile fight_

_Love is a ruthless game_

_Unless you play it good and right~_

"Looks like I win again." His breath is hot and heavy against her skin, unintentionally sending shivers down her spine.

She grits her teeth as she evaluates her options, deliberately dragging out her actions in a last-ditch attempt to buy time. He's advancing at a slow, leisurely pace, an arrogant smirk adopted from his junior Gold dancing across his lips. He's backing her up against a wall with nowhere to run, but he still has nothing on her. She still can regain control. She can prove it.

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she analyses the entire situation, concentrating all her devious powers into turning the tables onto him before executing her move–

"YES!" Blue punches the air triumphantly, leaping up from where she has been seated cross-legged on the ground for the past half-hour. As she begins a rather childish victory dance, her rival remains frozen from across the chessboard, staring in blatant disbelief at the pieces scattered across the remnants of the battlefield, still replaying the last few moments of the intense war in his mind.

"What… How…" Red stutters, barely able to form a sentence.

"Who cares?" Blue sticks out her tongue playfully at him, before proceeding to proclaim the joyous news of her victory to all of Kanto. "I DEFEATED RED! I DEFEATED RED! Take _that_!"

The next event happens so quickly he's barely able to process what's happening. Within seconds, she has seamlessly dashed back over to him and pounced onto him, bringing her face dangerously close to his.

"I do believe it's time to claim my reward." Her voice, low and melodious, resounds around the room.

Before he can protest, she crashes her lips to his, and a whole new level of their game begins.

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**8. When You're Gone** – Avril Lavigne

_~When you're gone_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone_

_The words I need to hear to always get me through_

_The day and make it okay_

_I miss you~_

I remember the day the letter that changed our lives forever arrived in the mail.

I remember you seizing the manila envelope from my grasp, smiling exuberantly at the address, which states that it's from Pallet Town.

And I remember the plate slipping from your grasp and shattering into smithereens on the ground.

You left that day. No questions were asked, no explanations were given, no goodbyes were exchanged – you fled like a rat deserting a sinking ship, or at least as if I were the plague and you wanted nothing more than to escape me.

Or rather, as if a magnet was pulling you along, and you couldn't resist its strong force of attraction.

You called me again on the Pokégear after several weeks of silent emptiness. You apologised for disappearing from my life and promised to return… eventually.

First, you required _my_ help to save _his_ life.

I know you'll never feel the same way I do, Blue. You've always taken care of me and protected me since young, and over time, I've involuntarily, irresistibly and irrevocably fallen for you.

Deep down, however, I know that I'll be Silver, Mr Second Rate, and the brother you never had forever because you have eyes only for _him_ – the young, charismatic yet unbelievably dense Champion of Kanto – and vice versa.

But just remember – I'll always be right here, waiting for you.

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**9. Heart Attack** - Demi Lovato

_~You make me glow, but I cover up_

_Won't let it show, so I'm_

_Puttin' my defenses up_

_'Cause I don't wanna fall in love_

_If I ever did that_

_I think I'd have a heart attack~_

She smiles like she's never been in

**P**

**A**

**I**

**N**

before

_(But he knows better)_

She's h/i/d/i/n/g it all

_B)e)h)i)n)d)_

-this mask-

And when she takes the

**F**

**... A**

**... ... L**

**... ... ... L**

_She does it a*l*o*n*e_

But the .t.r.u.t.h. is

_He's {always} been there_

R\i\g\h\t n\e\x\t t\o h\e\r

_Only, she can't s*e*e him_

From behind

_-this mask-_

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**10. E.T.** - Katy Perry

_~You're so hypnotizing_

_Could you be the devil? Could you be an angel?_

_Your touch magnetizing_

_Feels like I am floating, leaves my body glowing~_

They're walking along the street, side by side but not quite touching.

A swift glance at Red's face immediately informs Blue that he feels the exact same amount of awkwardness she does. An ominous atmosphere has hung between them ever since he suddenly turned up at her doorstep about a quarter of an hour ago, bearing an uncharacteristically hyper and nervous air and arousing her suspicion.

_The raven-haired teen's standing on the step, shifting his weight from foot to foot with his hands buried deep into his coat pockets. He sends her a grin, but when she opens the door wider to let him in, he shakes his head. "I can't stay, Blue, but I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me for... a quick walk?"_

Of course, she couldn't resist those adorable puppy-dog eyes he flashed her. She can fend off the most aggressive, evil and devious of villains - only to fall at the hands of her best friend with the captivating fire-red eyes.

Life sucks.

Surprisingly, though, it's he who breaks the ice. "So," he says tentatively, "Blue, what's today's date?"

She heaves a sigh at his awkward density. "April 24th."

"And tomorrow is...?"

"April 25th. Is there any point to these questions?"

"No! Err, I mean yes. You'll see why eventually," he stumbles over his words clumsily, blood suffusing his face. "It's just that... Well, tomorrow is a pretty special day... And they say that it's good luck to get a kiss from a beautiful girl on this particular special day..."

In the distance, a grandfather's clock chimes to signal the arrival of midnight, the loud, booming sound reverberating through the air.

Blue rolls her eyes, ignoring the uncontrollable churning of her stomach. Great. Just great. He's going out to search for Yellow or Misty now. She'll always be second (or third?) in his heart. She opens her mouth to tell him what to do with this desire to kiss that shallow witch (okay, maybe she isn't so shallow - maybe she's a hero) when he leans forward and...

... kisses her.

"Happy birthday, Blue."

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**[A/N: Yes, I am perfectly aware that Blue's birthday is June 1, not April 25. But CupcakePenelope/BlueViolet7's birthday is April 25, and her nickname is Blue, so why not add that in as a subtle reference?**

**Explanations/Thoughts:**

**1 - Ah, I like this one. I've always loved the idea of a kleptomaniac falling for the ordinary boy-next-door who gradually and indirectly changes her for the better. XD**

**2 - I think this is my personal favourite. Basically, Blue was attacked, and Red in turn attacked the attacker, but it's too late to save her now.**

**3 - Meh, I'm neutral about this one. It didn't come out quite as I intended it to...**

**4 - Pure mélange of fluff and angst, in which Blue feeds Red white lies to prevent him from worrying about her. Who doesn't love flangst? :P**

**5 - Well, I couldn't resist ChoosenShipping... Basically, Blue is getting married to Silver but gets cold feet at the last minute, thinking that she loves Red more, and this is all told with a side dose of SpecialShipping thrown in. :)**

**6 - Meh. I'm not used to writing rictameters, but I've done better.**

**7 - CRACK FLUFF. XD (And no, they did not have coitus)**

**8 - More one-sided ChoosenShipping and canon LuckyShipping told from Silver's POV. I feel a little guilty, torturing him so much... T_T**

**9 - First attempt at a free verse poem, and needless to say, it sucks.**

**10 - Meh, meh, meh. Awkward fluffiness *_***

**So anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it (especially you, Blue) ^_^ Reviews would be very much appreciated!**


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